A VAST majority of domain registrations are processed by ISPs on
behalf of their customers. Despite NSI's advertising, end users
rarely register their names themselves.
The prepayment requirement forced onto registrars has prevented these
registrars from developing a simple interface for ISPs to funnel
registrations through, thus forcing them to continue funneling their
registration business through NSI's registrar setup.
This restriction on the ability of registrars to cancel unpaid domains
without penalty is just one of many reasons why real competition is
not present in the domain registration field.
This restriction shows in the most clear ways how this setup has done
nothing but create a new sales force for NSI. NSI does not lose at
$9/yr per name, since they lose the cost of supporting that domain in
any fashion. Pricing has not provided any incentive (yet) for people
to use another registrar. Prepayment requirements have made sure that
the bulk of Netsol's source of business, ISPs, must continue using the
NSI registrar setup.
Where exactly is NSI facing a competitive environment?
This has got to be the second biggest joke in the entire DNS debate
(the first having been the ICANN "interim" board supposedly being
formed only to create the ICANN structure).
Stop calling this competition. It's only an illusion.
--
William X. Walsh
General Manager, DSo Internet Services
Email: william@dso.net Fax:(209) 671-7934
The Law is not your mommy or daddy to go crying
to every time you have something to whimper about.